Okay, these will be the next three on my list. I've long wanted to watch Life is Beautiful actually.
I'll give you my opinion of The Great Beauty (but you'll have to wait for your American opinion and make do with a British one).

many thanks

These DVD's recently arrived in the post. Just finished watching Life Is Beautiful...bang, half way through it changes big time. As soon as it finished my wife turned to me and said 'Sometimes it's really crap being a human being'. I wouldn't say I sobbed but I certainly shed some tears at the end.

Just finished watching Life Is Beautiful...bang, half way through it changes big time. As soon as it finished my wife turned to me and said 'Sometimes it's really crap being a human being'. I wouldn't say I sobbed but I certainly shed some tears at the end.

It has that effect on everyone. I still remember when I watched it in biddle-school during the cinema extra class, even the boasters were crying. I've never wanted to see it in its entirey again. Maybe now I should try again.

It has that effect on everyone. I still remember when I watched it in biddle-school during the cinema extra class, even the boasters were crying. I've never wanted to see it in its entirey again. Maybe now I should try again.

Yeah, it's not a film I'd like to watch again in a hurry. I have strange feelings about it. On the one hand I want to say its a beautiful film with really beautiful cinematography. At the same time, I think I'd feel rather awkward saying that due to the subject matter. There were some really subtly disturbing moments and there are still questions in my head about it that I'm mulling over.

Yeah, it's not a film I'd like to watch again in a hurry. I have strange feelings about it. On the one hand I want to say its a beautiful film with really beautiful cinematography. At the same time, I think I'd feel rather awkward saying that due to the subject matter. There were some really subtly disturbing moments and there are still questions in my head about it that I'm mulling over.

I think such a movie more than anything wants/has to raise questions in the viewer and if it has succeded we can say it is a good movie. I think it deserved all the praises that it got, but like you said, it's awkward that in Italy TV always air that as a Christmas movie...

I think such a movie more than anything wants/has to raise questions in the viewer and if it has succeded we can say it is a good movie. I think it deserved all the praises that it got, but like you said, it's awkward that in Italy TV always air that as a Christmas movie...

Christmas? Wow. I suppose its good to reflect at that time of the year on how good (the vast majority of) our lives are comparitively speaking.
By the way, Roberto Benigni really reminds me a lot of a French actor I like called Pierre Richard.

Christmas? Wow. I suppose its good to reflect at that time of the year on how good (the vast majority of) our lives are comparitively speaking.

That's exactly the spirit behind it. Italians are a population of melodrama and political critique, even better if they're together. If you could see show schedules here you'd see a bunch of period dramas, hystorical dramas, tragedy and politically involved shows and the customary hip american tv series here and there.

Quote:

By the way, Roberto Benigni really reminds me a lot of a French actor I like called Pierre Richard.

Good god it's true. Usually he's been compared to Woody Allen but this one really looks like his reddish headed brother.

Sister Nightroad- I sat down last night ready to watch 'La Grande Bellezza'. I was a bit peed-off to find the DVD I bought only had German and French subtitles. Merda!
Had to watch Ex Machina instead which I've had sitting around for a while. Sorry Iamnotafraid (I know you recommend it highly), I thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. I didn't particularly find the ending hard to foresee which left me a bit deflated.
Will have to re-order The Great Beauty.

Sister Nightroad- I sat down last night ready to watch 'La Grande Bellezza'. I was a bit peed-off to find the DVD I bought only had German and French subtitles. Merda!
Had to watch Ex Machina instead which I've had sitting around for a while. Sorry Iamnotafraid (I know you recommend it highly), I thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. I didn't particularly find the ending hard to foresee which left me a bit deflated.
Will have to re-order The Great Beauty.

Once it happened the very same thing to me with a documentary that I had to watch and analyze for my Developmental Psychology class, "Promises" about children living the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I was so happy that I found a cheaper sale and then I discovered that it only had French, Arabic and Jew subtitles. I had to watch it in English, at least there was an English audio, and it wasn't easy.

Thaks for Ex Machina, I won't buy it but I'll download it this summer.

Had to watch Ex Machina instead which I've had sitting around for a while. Sorry Iamnotafraid (I know you recommend it highly), I thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. I didn't particularly find the ending hard to foresee which left me a bit deflated.

Yes, I really like that movie. I don't think it was made
to blow you away. It kind of simmers. But there are
many things going on in that movie. And I think it
takes more than one viewing to notice.

What I like best are the questions it raises concerning
A.I. - without even considering what Nathan thought
Caleb really wanted to know.

Being a Christian makes me wonder how far man will
be allowed to go. Or how far man can go before it becomes
sin. It's most fascinating.

Yes, I really like that movie. I don't think it was made
to blow you away. It kind of simmers. But there are
many things going on in that movie. And I think it
takes more than one viewing to notice.

What I like best are the questions it raises concerning
A.I. - without even considering what Nathan thought
Caleb really wanted to know.

Being a Christian makes me wonder how far man will
be allowed to go. Or how far man can go before it becomes
sin. It's most fascinating.

Hi,
It didn't blow me away in so far as I didn't get to the end and think 'wow, that was a great film, I must watch this again'. It was nominated for a lot of awards and won quite a few of them so my expectations were quite high. I just didn't feel engaged with any of the characters (which is possibly deliberate as far as Caleb and Nathan are concerned), including Ava so at the end I didn't feel myself caring for any of them.
***Spoilers***
The idea 'it' may have been using Caleb was mooted by Nathan so it was always in the back of my mind something along those lines would happen at the end.

It's quite a long time since I've watched it but I remember A.I. having a much greater emotional impact on me and that did leave me questioning a lot of things afterwards. Another film I'd suggest is 'Her' starring Joaquin Pheonix.

I remember A.I. having a much greater emotional impact on me and that did leave me questioning a lot of things afterwards. Another film I'd suggest is 'Her' starring Joaquin Pheonix.

I liked A.I.. I think it's emotional impact might have been
because he (there's one of those pronouns we use for their type,
which is a thread just waiting to be started) was a child.

Her
I really came around to liking that movie. It's funny,
fifteen or so years ago it wouldn't have worked for me.
But after witnessing people walking around with the
love of their lives - the cell phone. I can believe it. And
I liked the ending. I just wish I hadn't found out who's
voice they used for Her. I didn't want to know before I
watched it.

I'm not one of those who walks around with their
cell phones. I hate them except for emergencies.
I am the last hold out.

Goodnight Mommy. And despite the "totally terrifying" tagline, it wasn't. But it was very, very good.

__________________I'm not the man you think I am. My love has never lived indoors - I had to drag it home by four, hired hounds at both my wrists, damp and bruised by strangers' kisses on my lips. But you're the one that I still miss. Neko Case